Times to Treasure – Week 11: White Elm Petting Farm Review

You may have noticed this post is a day later than usual – unfortunately yesterday I was on my sick bed, so unable to write and post this! Thankfully I am feeling much better now. Alfie slept a full 12 hours last night which meant I got a decent night’s sleep for once, for which I am very grateful!

We had a great weekend again this week, visiting various family and Alfie getting to play with his many cousins. On Sunday we had a sudden change of plans, so decided to make the most of the lovely weather and visit a new farm which had just opened.

Alfie ready to enter the farm!

White Elm is a local garden centre in Bicknacre which recently opened a new petting farm. There had been one previously, but due to a variety of reasons, this got shut down which was such a shame, as we had loved visiting there.

We were extremely pleased though when we heard they had reopened with a new name – White Elm Petting Farm. Not only did they have a farm, but a new indoor soft play area and an outdoor playground, complete with mini tractor track!

The new, improved petting farm

White Elm Petting Farm is a great little farm for toddlers – it is quite small, so not overwhelming, and a great size for someone of Alfie’s age. They have goats, sheep, chicken, pigs, wallabies, ducks, hedgehogs and rabbits to look at and pet! Some of the animals are free roaming as well, which is great fun and is quite educative too, for example we learned what the best hedgehog bedding material was.

There is a great variety of animals at the petting farm

We arrived after lunch and paid £11.40 to get in – adults are £4.95, under 2s are free. We also bought a pot of animal feed for £1.50. Included in the price is entrance to the farm, the indoor soft play and the outdoor play area. You are also given a loyalty card, so after 5 visits, you get your 6th visit for free (1 adult and 1 child). Children under 2 are free, and over 2s are £3.95.

It’s great now that Alfie is walking, as he can explore a bit more himself. When we first walked in, the goats were on our left and we went over to feed them with our animal feed. Alfie loved picking the food out of the pot, although he did insist on taking one piece at a time, rather than a handful! However, he wasn’t too keen on actually letting the goat eat from his hand – he kept dropping it on the floor in front of them!

Feeding the goats

We carried on walking round and found the rabbits. There was a polite notice up that said if there was a no feeding sign up, not to feed the rabbits as it meant they had already had enough food for the day, which I think it a great idea! It did say that we could pet the rabbits though, but Alfie wasn’t interested. We met the ducks and geese next, and Alfie did his best duck noise and used his knowledge from our Sing and Sign lessons to sign duck! Then we went to meet the pony. Alfie wasn’t too sure if he liked him or not – he did attempt to feed him, but wasn’t as keen as he was on the goats!

Meeting the pony

We went round to see the chickens who were roaming free, but Alfie was more interested in throwing the feed on the floor that trying to interact with them! Then we met the pigs – who Alfie really didn’t like! They were quite noisy and I think they scared him a little as he got a bit teary and grumpy!

Not a happy bunny!

By this point Alfie got a bit fed up – even though it was a small farm, he had done a lot of walking and was tired and grumpy, so we carried him the rest of the way to see the remaining animals.

After visiting the farm, we popped into the soft play area to see if Alfie wanted a play. As he had got a bit grumpy, I didn’t think he would be interested – but he loved it! It is a great little area because it has a small baby/toddler area which was perfect to let Alfie explore on his own. There was also a bigger area which Daddy went in with Alfie. Everything was nice and clean, and there was lots of extra toys as well for the children to play with – Alfie loved the mini house!

Alfie loved exploring the soft play area

On our way out, we stopped off at the tractor track. Daddy pushed Alfie round for a bit, then Mr. Independent decided he wanted to do it himself. He couldn’t quite move the tractor whilst sitting on it, so he got off and pushed it around for a bit.

Having fun on the tractor

Overall, White Elm farm was a great experience. In my opinion, it is well worth the money for everything included. Alfie may not have enjoyed the animals as much as I would have liked, but I still enjoyed petting and feeding them! The soft play and tractor track was a big hit with Alfie and I think had he been in a better mood, he would have loved the animals as well.

If you are looking for a great few hours out, I’d highly recommend a visit. As it is attached to a garden centre, you can also go and have a browse through there – Alfie loved the Christmas displays! The tea room also does a fabulous cup of tea and slice of cake if you don’t want to eat in the soft play area.

Having fun on the displays

We had a great afternoon, and will certainly be back again soon!

This is a review of White Elm Petting Farm – all opinions in this review are my own, and this post is not written in connection with White Elm, all fees were paid for by myself.

The Face Behind The Blog

Hello, I'm Abi and I am the face behind the blog, Something About Baby. This is my space where I write all about being mum to Alfie, who was born in July 2015, and wife to Craig. Check out my About Me section to find out more.